Thomas is launching new AI-powered search and advertising tools aimed at accelerating how industrial buyers find suppliers and improving how manufacturers reach high-intent customers.

The company introduced Thomas smart search, an AI-driven capability. Thomas said it lets buyers run detailed, multi-attribute searches using natural language instead of navigating predefined categories. The tool targets engineers, procurement teams and sourcing managers who increasingly need to match precise capabilities with a fragmented supplier base.

Thomas operates as part of Xometry, which runs an AI-powered manufacturing marketplace and cloud-based services platform. Thomas said it connects industrial buyers with more than 500,000 vetted North American suppliers.

The launches underscore intensifying competition among industrial marketplaces to apply AI to supplier discovery, buyer intent and advertising accountability as manufacturers and distributors push more sourcing activity online.

How Thomas is using AI search for sourcing

In testing, Thomas said smart search drove more than 15% more supplier evaluations than its legacy search. That indicates higher buyer engagement and more relevant results.

Thomas also launched performance-based listings, a new advertising model that allows suppliers to pay only when buyers interact with their profiles. Advertisers can:

• Target customers across more than 80,000 industry-specific categories.
• Set custom budgets.
• Monitor results through Thomas’ analytics tools.

Scott Miller, chief growth officer at Case Mason, a contract packaging, filling, assembly and third-party logistics (3PL) provider for consumer brands, said the platform’s targeting capabilities allow suppliers to focus on spending where it is most effective.

“Thomas has the unique capability of being able to geographically target, as well as capability target,” Miller said. “We can be very strategic about how we spend to support both branding and lead generation.”

Thomas said it has also integrated traffic-screening technology from DataDome, an AI cybersecurity platform that protects websites, mobile apps and APIs from automated threats like malicious bots and online fraud.

“As more buyers rely on targeted search paths, we’re helping them make faster purchasing decisions while driving higher-quality connections for suppliers,” said Rachel Zepernick, general manager at Thomas. “Accurate, attribute-rich searches benefit both sides of the marketplace.”

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